DWP and pensions information: April 2024 dates for advantages, Universal Credit and pensions

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As the price of dwelling disaster persists, tens of millions proceed to battle to pay their payments, afford the necessities and even preserve a roof over their heads.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s spring Budget introduced some modifications aimed to extend family incomes, together with a 2p National Insurance tax reduce, modifications to the Child Benefit, and an extension to the Household Support Fund.

However, some specialists have expressed issues that the chancellor’s new measures unfairly profit larger earners. The NI reduce will profit these incomes £50,000 or extra essentially the most, in accordance with the Resolution Foundation suppose tank.

The authorities’s newest annual figures on low-income households additionally paint a bleak image of the UK’s financial scenario. They present absolute poverty has elevated for two years in a row, with almost one million extra folks poverty in 2022/23 than in 21/22.

The economic system took a constructive flip when inflation dropped to three.4 per cent in March – the bottom degree for the reason that finish of 2021. However, this doesn’t imply costs are going again to what they had been two and a half years in the past, simply that they’re rising much less quick.

Against these troublesome financial circumstances, right here is an summary of the monetary assist obtainable to low-income households this April and key dates for advantages recipients to look out for:

Benefits going out as traditional

The traditional advantages and pensions funds can be going out largely as regular in March. These are:

However, in case your fee date falls on Good Friday (29 March) or Easter Monday (1 April) you must obtain your anticipated fee the on the final Thursday of March (28 March).

For extra data on how and when state advantages are paid, please go to the federal government’s web site.

A report from Policy in Practice final 12 months reveals that almost £19bn in advantages goes unclaimed a 12 months – they supply a useful calculator to work out what you is perhaps entitled to.

Have you been affected by the problems on this story? Get in contact through e-mail: albert.toth@unbiased.co.uk

Household assist fund

In the spring Budget, Jeremy Hunt confirmed the Household Support Fund (HSF) can be prolonged for 6 months past the unique 31 March deadline.

The HSF is funding given to all native councils to assist weak households of their space. Councils are free to allocate the funds nevertheless they really feel is greatest.

For occasion, some have supplied money grants, grocery store vouchers, or power invoice help. You might want to go to your native council’s web site to search out out what assist should still be obtainable.

To discover out what assist is offered to you, the End Furniture Poverty charity supply a useful help finder instrument.

Other assist obtainable

Budgeting advance loans

The authorities presents a ‘budgeting advance loan’ for folks on Universal Credit who face an emergency lack of cash. Prior to the funds, the reimbursement interval for these loans was 12 months. It has now been doubled to 2 years.

These loans are interest-free, and robotically deducted from Universal Credit funds. You can borrow an ‘advance’ of as much as:

Charitable grants

If you might be struggling financially, it’s possible you’ll be eligible for sure charitable grants. There are a variety of grants obtainable relying in your circumstances.

However, these grants will sometimes require you to fulfill particular standards and solely have the ability to supply restricted funds.

Charitable grants can be found for people who find themselves disabled or unwell, carers, bereaved, unemployed, college students – and many extra. The charity Turn2us has a web based instrument to go looking for grants which can be obtainable to you.

Energy supplier assist

Various power suppliers supply assist for these battling their power payments. These embody Scottish Power, EDF, E.ON and Octopus. It is value contacting your power supplier to search out out in case you are eligible.

British Gas additionally supply a grant of as much as £2,000 to clients of any power supplier. You might want to meet particular standards to be eligible, and can apply on the British Gas Energy Trust web site.

Council tax discount

If you meet sure standards or are on sure advantages, you might be able to apply for a reduction in your council tax low cost of as much as 100 per cent.

Your native council should still have the ability to give you a discretionary discount if you’ll be able to show you might be going through extreme hardship and can’t afford to pay your council tax.

To apply for a council tax discount, you may contact your native council through the federal government’s web site.

Up to 30 hours free childcare

All working mother and father within the UK are at present entitled to 30 hours of free childcare for youngsters aged 3 to 4. From April 1, this entitlement will develop to incorporate 15 hours of free childcare for 2-year-olds.

You should apply on-line and reconfirm your eligibility each three months, in time for every faculty time period. Working mother and father also can apply for tax-free childcare, giving again 20p for each 80p you place in direction of childcare, as much as a most of £500 a 12 months.

There are two extra expansions to free childcare deliberate within the coming years:

Energy Price Cap: Will it go up or down in 2024?

The power value cap is about to drop to £1,690 from 1 April, down £238 from the January cap of £1,928.

Analysts on the trusted Cornwall Insight predict this determine will fall in July to £1,462.86, however rise once more barely in October to £1,590.

The power value cap is the utmost quantity power suppliers can cost you for every unit of power should you’re on a regular variable tariff. That contains most households. It is expressed as an annual invoice for a mean house.

The current decline in costs is reflective of current drops in wholesale power prices – the quantity power corporations pay for their electrical energy and gasoline earlier than supplying it to households.

Although it’s a important slide from the record-high charges of the final two years, the determine stays nearly £1,000 a 12 months above pre-pandemic ranges.

Are advantages and pensions going up in 2024?

Benefits and state pension are set to extend in April 2024.

In his autumn assertion, Jeremy Hunt that advantages are going to be elevated by the September charge of inflation of 6.7 per cent. He additionally introduced that state pensions can be elevated by 8.5 per cent across the identical time.

However, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) has warned that failure to lift the advantages cap will push extra folks past its threshold, that means a real-terms reduce for many.